title: The fading affect bias across alcohol consumption frequency for alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related events.
abstract: The Fading Affect Bias (FAB) is the tendency for unpleasant emotions to fade more over time than pleasant emotions (Walker, Vogl, & Thompson, 1997). The FAB is negatively related to dysphoria (Walker, Skowronski, Gibbons, Vogl, & Thompson, 2003), which led researchers to suggest that the FAB is a healthy coping mechanism that improves the overall positivity of life (Walker, Skowronski, & Thompson, 2003). The FAB may also reinforce certain maladaptive behaviors, such as drinking alcohol, as the unpleasant emotions associated with those behaviors quickly fade from memory, and increase the likelihood of those behaviors in the future. If the FAB increases the likelihood of maladaptive alcohol consumption, the FAB should be greatest for ordinary events at low alcohol consumption levels, whereas the FAB should be greatest for alcohol events at high alcohol consumption levels. The results of two studies provided support for the hypotheses. The implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA 23606, United States. Electronic address: jgibbons@cnu.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kofron
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rothwell
authors.forename: Sherman A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: W Richard
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Autobiographical memory; Coping; Emotions; Fading affect bias